To describe the components of the Alberta Registered Massage Therapists Society (ARMTS) examination and their psychometric properties.
All 3 components of the ARMTS examination (knowledge, clinical judgement, and clinical skills) were administered to 112 candidates. The examination consisted of 2 written components (140 multiple-choice questions on basic science knowledge and 60 multiple-choice questions on clinical judgment) and a clinical competency assessment of the following practical skills with standardized patients: (1) taking a case history, (2) assessing physical condition, and (3) treating the condition. All components of the examination were criterion-referenced with the methods of minimum performance level (MPL).
The internal consistency reliability coefficients (Cronbach alpha) ranged from 0.60 to 0.88 for all test components. The descriptive statistics, performance levels, and reliability estimates indicate that the examination is functioning well. Concurrent, criterion-related validity evidence was provided by correlations between the examination components that ranged from r = 0.24 (P